Safety plug-in connector



H3045 0R 20408;556 S h R 1, 1945- c. A. HASENWINKLE ,408,556

SAFETY PLUG-IN CONNECTOR Filed Sept. 30, 1944 lNVENTOR Carl 1i. Hasen Wink/e QM M ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 1, 1946 E Search Room UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in plug-in connectors, and more particularly to the arrangement of the wire terminals and the metal connector prongs, whereby the screws which secure the base oil the prongs to the insulating body of the connector will be under constant pressure from the wire terminals, so that they will not come loose, and the prongs will be more flrmly held in place on the insulating body.

Another object of the invention is to provide a plugin connector with an integral insulating partition for separating the wire terminals, and further to provide relative deep pockets on the opposite sides or the partition, which securely anchor the base flanges of the prongs against lateral displacement.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in certain new and useful constructions, combinations of parts and relations between the parts, clearly described in the following specification and fully illustrated in the drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a central sectional view, taken on line l-l of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view, showing the insulating face pieces removed.

Fig. 3 is a, central sectional view, taken on line 3-4 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a detail plan view 01' one of the conductor prongs.

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one of the insulating pieces or washers.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view.

Referring to the accompanying drawing which illustrates the practical construction of my invention 5 designates a body formed of suitable insulating material, and constructed with a central wire receiving opening 6 and with separating wire passages I and 8 which lead from this central opening and communicate with the pockets 9 and Ill adjacent to the inner side of the plug-in connector body 5.

The inner side of the plug-in connector body 5 is formed with a marginal rim II and is provided with a separating member l2, which is shown with an integral partition l3. This separating member I! may be formed integral with the body 5, or made of a separate piece and cemented or otherwise attached to the central portion of the body 5.

The body 5 is also formed with a shoulder ll on one side and a similar shoulder It on the 2 other side, and between this shoulder and the outer edges of the separating member I! the base flanges l8 and I! of the prongs lid and Ila are arranged.

These prongs are thus confined against lateral displacement by the shoulders I and I5 and by the outer edges of the separating member l2, and the base flanges are secured in place by means of the screws I 61) and I'll), which are threaded through screw holes it formed in the base flanges and into the body I. v

The base flange I8 is provided with a binding screw lie, which is formed with a relatively large head, and the base flange I1 is provided with a binding screw llc, which is also provided with a relatively large head. These screw heads are located below the outer surface of the separating member I 2, and the integral partition or outstanding rib l3, extends outwardly of the heads of the binding screws and the adjacent outer faces of the separating member I! thew- Winsulatin washers IS a 20, w c e ormed with slots I a and 20a t rceivethe'prongslmiiiifflit' rhe'se washers are formed with straight inner edges 19' and 20', adapted to fit against the sides of the central partition or rib l3, and with convex curved outer edges l9" and 20", adapted to flt against the marginal rim II.

A wire terminal II is extended from the wire passage 1 across the head of the holding screw 16b, of the base flange l8, and. the wire end thereof is clamped in place by the binding screw 160.

The connector prong of each base flange flts closely against the straight edge of the separating member, and when clamped in place by its connecting screw will be braced against this sepa rating member.

The insulating sheaths oi the conductor wires are nested in the pockets 9 and It. on opposite sides of the central partition, so that these wire sheaths cannot have physical contact with the companion plug-in connector or wall socket, in which the connector prongs are forced, and the wire terminals will not be disturbed or displaced by use.

The insulated wire extends from the outlet hole of the wire passage around the outer side of the prong to engage the binding screw, and the prong is thus held under the pressure of the wire against the adjacent straight edge of the separator.

This arrangement makes it dii'licult, it not impossible, for the frayed ends of the wires to cross from their binding screws and establish conductive contact with each other, and thus short the circuit through the wires.

Should the wires be pulled from their binding posts, for any reason, they will leave the conhector body in the form of a Y, so that conductive contact between the wires will not take place.

The marginal rim of the body serves to take up any thrust imposed on the plug-in connector. when the prongs are forced into the slots of the receiving socket or wall connector member, not shown.

The separating member is formed with a recess l2a to receive each head of the binding screw. The adjacent edge of this recess at l2a' is concave, and acts to limit the outward play of the frayed end of the wire, so that it is more readily forced under the wide head of the binding screw and retained in clamped position, since this concave edge l2a. acts both as a guide for inserting the wire end under the clamping screw head and as a stop to limit the outward displacement of the frayed wire from the clamping screw. If desired the wire may be curved away from the prong.

The other wire terminal 22 is extended from the wire passage 8 across the outer side of the prong flange and its clamping screw Ha, and is retained in place by the binding screw No.

It will be seen that I have designed a plug-in connector which prevents the circuit wire ends from having conductive contact with each other to short the circuit, that the prongs are reinforced by the manner of installing them in the connector body, and that should the electrical wires be accidentally pulledout of the connector, the wire ends would not be brought together to short the circuit, but would leave the connector body in diverging relation, so that accidental contact may be prevented.

It is understood that various changes may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the claim forming a part of this application.

Having described my invention I claim':

A plug-in electrical connector, comprising a body formed fron insulationrmflterial and providedwitfi'i'afsocket in one side thereof to receive the end of an electrical cord and wire passages diverging from said socket to thebppos'itfside of said body, said body having open wells surrounding the outer ends of said divergent wire Passages and tiel i au amcketun ach side of said body and an integral partition, a connegtor prong having a base snugly fitted ineach well and a pronrainiipi o'jecting at right angles to said W said wells having a right angular shoulder engaged by its prong arm, a screw threaded through each base into said body to hold each connector prong in place, and a semicircular washer of insulating m atgial ispose 1n eac semiclfis'wcfit and p'r'ov'W e "witl'ia slot througrwhich the prong arm thereof projects, the inner edge of each washer engaging the side of said partition and both washers being disposed flush with the outermost surface of the body adjacent thereto.

CARL A. HASENWINKLE. 

